Admirable DIY Skirt to Cushion Cover Tutorial in 8 Quick Steps

By Emilie Bradford

Many of us have old skirts in our closets that we will probably never wear again. Skirts come in many lengths, patterns, and styles but ultimately form a good foundation for a DIY style project due to their simple shape. In this tutorial, I’m going to show you how to turn an old skirt into a cool cushion cover so stylish that you’ll display it with pride in your home!

If you’ve got more than one skirt that you’d like to use for this tutorial then that’s great! You’ll be able to give your home or at least your couch a complete overhaul using unique, handmade furnishings! Don’t worry about whether or not the fabric, texture, and color of the skirts you’re using match your other cushions and soft furnishings.

Statement cushions are an ideal way to transform your home in minutes, plus they can also be used for special occasions like when you have guests or used for decorating an office or bedroom.

DIY Skirt to Cushion Cover Tutorial

Depending on the length of the skirt and your personal choice, you have the option to transform your old skirt(s) into either a cushion cover or a pillowcase if you wish to keep the size bigger. For those who are more confident, you could adapt this idea to make a long bench cover or a French Mattress.

For this tutorial you will need:

1 skirt (I’m using an above-the-knee pencil skirt. Alternatively a tube top would also work well)

1 pair of fabric scissors

Cotton thread

1 sewing needle

Pins

1 zipper (this is optional. You may choose not to have a fastener on your cushion which is completely fine. Another option is to stitch on buttons or press-studs, if you can’t/don’t want to sew on a zipper fastener.)

Step 1:

Place your chosen skirt flat on a smooth, even surface.

Step 2:

Decide whether you want to shorten the skirt or leave the length as is. If you choose to cut the skirt, now is the time to cut it down to the length you want.

Step 3:

Now that your skirt/cushion cover is the length you want (whether you’ve left it as it is or cut it down) turn it inside out and carefully pin one side together. It’s better to neatly sew up the messier side, so if you’ve cut down the length, these two sides would be what you’d stitch together. If you’ve left your skirt as it is, then stitch the sides where you don’t want the zip/buttons/fastenings to be.

Step 4:

Stitch together the bottom of the two sides you’ve stitched together in a straight line stitch.

You can complete this tutorial using a sewing machine or by hand. I didn’t use a sewing machine at any point, all of the stitching and zip inserts was done by hand.

Step 5:

Now decide on whether you want to add fasteners to the open side of the skirt/cushion cover. If you want to leave it open to make inserting and removing your inner cushion easier then your job is done – your cushion case is complete. If you’re adding fasteners, prepare them and plan how you will attach them.

Step 6:

I used a zipper. To apply the zipper you need to make sure that the skirt is turned inside-out. Lie the fabric flat, keeping the zip closed, turn your zip so that the back is facing you and the front (the side that will be seen) is facing between the two ‘good’ sides which you can’t see because you’ve turned the skirt inside-out.

If you’re new to sewing, you may find it confusing at first because much of the stitching is done when the garment is inside-out and not as you’d wear or use it. Stitching is done this was so that you don’t see the stitching and tied ends when you use the item because they will be hidden on the inside.

Back to zip fastening: pin the zip in place against each of the open sides of the skirt. The edges of the zipper should face towards you so that they are hidden when you come to use the cushion case.

Step 7:

Stitch the zip in place, carefully sewing a straight line stitch along the line of pins, removing the pins as you go along.

Step 8:

Carefully reach your finger inside the zip, unzip and turn your completed cushion cover the other way around so that you can see how the outside of the case looks. Insert a cushion or pillow and you’re finished!

There you have your new interior creation which your friends will admire!